Base channel-panel footing structure



Feb. 23, 1965 J. B. DUNNINGTON BASE CHANNEL-PANEL FooTING STRUCTUREFiled Aug. 3. 1961 This invention relates to footing mountings forpanels and refers more particularly to `a base channel-post footp ingcooperating construction for wall panels of a building.

This application isa continuation-in-part of my application Serial No'.`49,265, led August 12, 1960, for Joint Assembly for Wall Panels, nowPatent No. 3,102,612. y

A principal area of difficulty in any prefabricated building havingoutside walls made up o f a plurality of panels placed in side by sidecoplanar relationship is the obtaining of a satisfactory panelfooting-sill connection. Such a panel footing-sill connection must bestrong and rugged to provide long time support under load. It must besimple and easy to install and'to engage the parts thereof. The membersmaking up the footing preferably are cheap and relatively easy to massproduce in quantity, yet accurately formed to provideprecise'panelaligning engagement. It is very desirable to providemembers i 3,170,269 Patented Feb.- 23,1965

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i ing material, facedvonopposite sides with. sheet metal y ment beingseen in FIGS. 1 and 2 and one side frame which will provide veryprecise-vertical, lateral and inout alignment of the panelssupportedthereby. Means preferably should be provided which will tend to reduceand control any tendency to forward or rearward leanu ing or othermovement of the panels supported thereby. It `wouldalso bepreferable .ifthe panel array could first be assembledin horizontal position and thenmoved upwardly4 into a Vertical .position and simultaneously intoengagement with the panel foot support. VAny means y locking thepartsrofr` the footing assemblytogether should be readily accessible forremoval or repair of any of the panel footing members or the panelsthemselves. such engagingV means for the panel footing partsadditionally preferably are protected against iujuryor darn age wherebyto prevent inadvertent locking of the panels to the footing. Finally,the elements of the assembly should t very precisely and closelytogether whereby to provide precise alignment of the panels.

The objects of the invention are to achieve the abovelisted goals, .anddesirable featuresof apanel footing l Other and further objects of theinvention will appear in the course of the following description.`

In the drawings, which form a part of the instant specification and areto be read in conjunction ltherewith, an embodiment of the invention isshown and, in the various views, like numerals are employed to indicatelike parts.

FIG. 1 is a perspective View from above of the subject panel footingengagement with portions of the panel assemblies themselves shown tobetter illustrate the cooperative footing construction, parts cut awayin section to -better illustrate the various elements.

FlG. 2 is a cross-sectional view through the inventive panel footingassembly, the unit shown in full lines in assembled position and 'indotted lines in preassembly position.

Referring to the drawings, in FIGS. l and 2 there are shown portions oftypical panel type wall members in which the jointsrbetween adjacentpanels are formed in the manner disclosed in my application Serial No.49,265, supra. The individual panel members are typically of rectangularshape. Such panel is generally constructed of a central core lila whichmay be of a conventional honeycomb construction of suitable rigidthermal insulatskins 10b and ltlcfor other conventional -facing malterial. The edges of each panel have secured thereto and runninglengthwise thereof a `frame element in the form of an outwardly openedchannel, the lower frame ele'- of each panel element being seen alsoV inFIG. 1. .It should be vunderstood `that the said frame elements form inany suitable fashion. n I.

The panels are mounted in coplanar relationship in a base channell 4setVin and bolted to thefoundation of the building.4 "The lower frameelement of each panel seats therein' in assembled position. 'I'h`e.upp,er end of the panel is receivedin an upper retainer structure (notshown) whichwforms` a part of the structural framework of the building.Bolts may be `employed to secure the panels in place. The particularpanels shown and des scribed herein have been selected solely for thepurpose of illustrating the invention and consequently the inventionhereafter to be set forth is not to beconstrued as limited toapplication Yto the illustrated panels' alone,

The building foundation is generally designated 20 and has a trough orchannel formed'in the upper'front edge thereof having a rearor innerwall21 and a lower wall 22. ln describing parts'of the assembly the spatialorientation employed will berthe full' line assembled portions of FIGS.l and 2. A 'base channel having a rear or inner Vvertical wall 23, ahorizontal bottom wall 24, a sho'rtupwardly extending front or outerflange 25V and a horizontal platform flange 26 attached to the free endof thelatter is bolted by a plurality of bolts 27 and nut 23` to. thesaid foundation. The footing extrusion, which' is the circumferential.edge boundary of the panel element Vas seen in FIG. 1, comprises avertical rear or inner wall 2.9 havingahorizontal base flange 3i)continuously fixed thereto, a top wall 31 horizontal in asse-mbledorientation, and a front or' outer face or leg` 32 vertical inorientation, the latter having a horizontal footing flange 33 analogoustolflange 3@ Xed to the lower free end thereof. Thus, this member, incrossr section as seen in FIG. 2,'looks liketwo erect symmetrical L-shaped members, Aconnected at the top of the `L-legs by vaqhvorizontalmember 3l. The width of thefront horizontal flange 33 or L-baseleg ispreferably equal to. or slightly greater'than the height of frontlirange25 of the base channel for reasons to -be described. Legs 29 and 32place wall 31 in linewith zthe top of wall 23. y As previouslymentioned, the panel construction proper an integral part ofthe panel,beingA connected thereto comprises `front and rear facing sheets 10b and16e spaced-- above a base flange 36 by strips 37 andv 38. A downy iwardly facing front flange 39 overlies the front face 32 of the panelfooting extrusion. Members 31 and 36 of the panel support extrusion andthe panel footing extrusion may be bolted in face-to-face relationshiplas shown at 40. As previously mentioned, the detailed structure of thepanel itself or its parts is not critical to the invention. The panelfooting extrusion illustrated, however, is a preferred structured formand important part of the footing assembly, as is the base channel.

Openings 41 are threaded at regular intervals through the front flange25 of the base channel to receive threaded screws or bolts 42.

In assembly of the panel, after base channel 23, etc. is bolted to thefoundation, the panel `base seal extrusion 36, etc. is bolted to thepanel footing extrusion 3l, etc. The lower ends of the panel front andrear sheets leb and lila are then fitted into the U-members 34 and 35 toreceive same and secured therein by any suitable conventional means suchas screws,rbrazing, fasteners, etc. This assembly, then, may bepositioned in that alignment shown in dotted lines in FIG. 2, namely,

in horizontal relationship with the front I -leg (32 and 3.3) of thefooting extrusion overlying the front anges 26 and 25 of the basechannel. The panel assembly mayV then 'befmoved in a 90 arc from thedotted line showing of FIG. 2, counterclocliwise in the View, to thefull line position of the same view. The L-leg base 30 prevents the rearleg 29 of the footing extrusion from catching or sticking on thefoundation or rear wall 23 of the base channel. It also provides a solidseat in th assembled position for the rear panel face. Once in theassembled position of HG. 2, the screws 42 may be screwed in from thedotted line yto tliefull line position of FIG. 2 whereby to'force therear wall 29 ofthe footing extrusion against the rear wall 23 of thebase channel whereby to provide a tight t therebetween.

A plurality of weep holes 43 may be provided in the base channel todrain same prior to wall unit erection. The front L-leg base 33preferably does not block same whereby to provide continuous drainagethereafter.

Screws 42 may be backed off at any desired time to remove any individualpanel or part for replacement or repair of any part of the footing orpanel structure itself.

From the foregoing it will be seen that this invention is one welladapted to attain all of the ends and objects hereinabove set forthtogether with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherentto the structure.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are ofutility Vand may be employed without reference to other features andsubcornbinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of theclaims.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the invention withoutdeparting from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matterherein setr forth or shown in the `accompanying drawings is to beinterpreted `as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a building structure, a foundation having a recess along one edge,a base channel anchored within said recess, said base channel having avertical inner wall and a horizontal lower wall, said inner and lowerchannel walls contacting said foundation walls in said recess, said basechannel including a vertical outer wall of lesser height than said innerwall, a horizontal platform flange connected to the upper edge of thevertical outer wall and extending outwardly therefrom, said outer wallbeing connected to said lower wall and extending normal thereto, and awall panel having a footing member attached thereto, said footing memberhaving a horizontal top wall with a vertical inner wall `and a verticalouter i wall attached to the inner and outer edges of said top wall andextending downwardly normal thereto, horizontal flange feet fixed to'thefree edges of said vertical walls and extending normal thereto in thesame direction, said panel footing member fitting in said base channelmemberwith the horizontal top wall thereof substantially in line withtheupper edge of the channel inner wall' and with the inner wall andflange foot of the outer wall substantially abutting the opposing facesof the channel inner and outer walls, and removable means locking saidfooting member within said base channel member whereby said lockingmember may be removed `andsaid wall panel and base'channel member may bepivoted outwardly to remove said panel from its erected position, theextremity of the outermost horizontal lange *foot pivoting aboutthefintersection of the horizontal lower wall and the vertical outerwall of said base channel.

2. The building structure of claim 1 wherein said wall panel includes apanel base member overlying said horizontal top wall of said 4panelfooting member in flush abutment therewith and removably fixed thereto,said panel base member having a vertical, downwardly extending frontflange overly-ing the outer wall of said panel footing member.

3. The building structure of claim 1 wherein the width of the flange`foot on the panel footing member outer wall -is substantially equal tothe height of the base channel outer wall.

4. The building structure of claim 1 further including weep holes in thebase channel outer wall.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS (1staddition to No. 1,020,271)

OTHER REFERENCES Construction Methods and Equipment, May 1956, p.

1. IN A BUILDING STRUCTURE, A FOUNDATION HAVING A RECESS ALONG ONE EDGE,A BASE CHANNEL ANCHORED WITHIN SAID RECESS, SAID BASE CHANNEL HAVING AVERTICAL INNER WALL AND A HORIZONTAL LOWER WALL, SAID INNER AND LOWERCHANNEL WALLS CONTACTING SAID FOUNDATION WALLS IN SAID RECESS, SAID BASECHANNEL INCLUDING A VERTICAL OUTER WALL OF LESSER HEIGHT THAN SAID INNERWALL, A HORIZONTAL PLATFORM FLANGE CONNECTED TO THE UPPER EDGE OF THEVERTICAL OUTER WALL AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY THEREFROM, SAID OUTER WALLBEING CONNECTED TO SAID LOWER WALL AND EXTENDING NORMAL THERETO, AND AWALL PANEL HAVING A FOOTING MEMBER ATTACHED THERETO, SAID FOOTING MEMBERHAVING A HORIZONTAL TOP WALL WITH A VERTICAL INNER WALL AND A VERTICALOUTER WALL ATTACHED TO THE INNER AND OUTER EDGES OF SAID TOP WALL ANDEXTENDING DOWNWARDLY NORMAL THERETO, HORIZONTAL FLANGE FEET FIXED TO THEFREE EDGES OF SAID VERTICAL WALLS AND EXTENDING NORMAL THERETO IN THESAME DIRECTION, SAID PANEL FOOTING MEMBER FITTING IN SAID BASE CHANNELMEMBER WITH THE HORIZONTAL TOP WALL THEREOF SUB-